


Buffy Seasonal Arcs: 1-3

by womanaction



Series: Buffy Meta [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 10:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11034390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/womanaction/pseuds/womanaction
Summary: Meta regarding the use of arcs in the first three season (high school years) of Buffy. Originally posted on Tumblr in 2016.





	Buffy Seasonal Arcs: 1-3

Season 1 of Buffy was of course a half-season, and was primarily episodic. This fit its abbreviated nature as well as the style of many shows at the time of its debut (as complicated as the X-Files mythology became, it was still mostly episodic and definitely influenced Buffy). The Big Bad of the season was the Master, who was introduced at the very beginning of the first episode. However, most of the episodes were standalones that, although they were tailored somewhat to fit their place in the season, could have happened at any point during the high school run of the show. For example, the Master appears in 1x10 “Nightmares,” which comes just two episodes before the season (and planned series) finale, but the overall conceit of the episode could have worked just as well in season 2 or 3. Despite the shortened season, there is still something of a midseason point in 1x7 “Angel,” which sets up more of the vampire mythology and develops Angel’s character in addition to moving forward the relationship between Buffy and Angel. The Master is involved in the plot of this episode, but was not essential to it as Darla is the primary active agent. Arguably, 1x5 “Never Kill A Boy On The First Date” could be considered more of the arc midpoint as it introduces the Anointed One who would lead Buffy to her death at the end of the season. In between these two episodes is “The Pack,” which is another nonspecific episode. Unlike the later seasons, the overall themes of season 1 are difficult to unpack. Buffy struggles with her destiny throughout as she will for the rest of the series, but that struggle is not given a clear focal point as it will be later. Because of that, the episodes are not merely standalone in plot but also in theme, covering a broad range of topics that will be revisited over the run of the show.

Season 2 of Buffy had one of the most memorable arcs on the show, but it still relied heavily on standalone episodes to fill out its order. As with every season, most of the seasonal arc occurs in the later half of the season; unlike many of the other seasons, the beginning of this season demonstrates a lack of clarity regarding what is to come. Based on cast and crew interviews, a great deal about Season 2 was constantly evolving as the episodes were produced. Spike, Oz, and Jenny were all supposed to be killed off, with Jenny dying earlier than 2x17 “Passion.” This season had the benefit of more time to stretch out the story in comparison to Season 1, but that time was not always used wisely. The season opener, 2x1 “When She Was Bad,” is much like 3x1 “Anne” in its demonstration of Buffy’s psychological trauma from the events of the previous season. However, where “Anne” sets up the themes of dual identities quite well, “When She Was Bad” seems more like a postlude to the events of S1, the proto-”Restless” to its “Primeval.” Many of the early Season 2 episodes are mediocre standalones with minor arc relevance (2x2 “Some Assembly Required” and 2x5 “Reptile Boy” are perennial unfavorites) beyond building up Angel and his relationship with Buffy. 2x3 “School Hard” does the necessary work of introducing Spike and Drusilla, who at first appear to be the season’s Big Bads, and in that way it almost feels like the true beginning to the season. “School Hard” sets up Angel’s betrayal of Buffy by mirroring it with his betrayal of Spike, and it hardly seems to be a coincidence that Angel first pretends to be his unsouled alter ego when they encounter each other. Angel’s evil pretense in this episode makes an interesting contrast to his souled innocence directly before Buffy sends him to Hell in the finale. Moreover, of course, the episode ends with Spike’s murder of the Anointed One, declaring an end to the remnants of S1′s arc.

A quarter of the way through the season, the story resurfaces in 1x7 “Lie To Me.” A key tipoff that this episode will be pivotal is its Whedon writing credit. Here again we have a betrayal, and now it is happening to Buffy by way of her old friend Ford who makes the immoral decision to become a soulless monster rather than accepting his untimely fate (as Buffy did last season). This story is entwined with the reappearance of Spike and Drusilla as the primary antagonists for the episode and their history with Angel is explored further. For the first time, the viewers and Buffy are given a concrete reminder of his evil deeds in the form of Drusilla’s traumatized state. Angel was able to kill off Darla fairly easily in S1, but he cannot bring himself to rid the world of one of the killers he created. Drusilla and Spike use this to their advantage in the first of two midseason two-parters (”What’s My Line” parts one and two and “Surprise/Innocence”), which reiterates even more clearly the quickly-reversing nature of Buffy’s world. Kendra and Buffy first fight against each other, and then alongside each other. Spike revives Drusilla only for her to have to carry his broken body out of the ashes. Angel’s blood is taken to bring strength to the childe he weakened and damned, and it is her strength which will aid him later in the season. Furthermore, this is, of course, not the last time that Angel’s blood will be essential this season (as he uses it to awaken Acathla and bring about an apocalypse at the end of the season). Blood is also emphasized through the calling of a new Slayer through that bloodline.

At the true midseason point comes “Surprise/Innocence,” which together begin the Angelus half of the season. This is a particularly strong pair of episodes, and it finally brings about the sudden shift in Angel’s nature that the previously described episodes have been alluding to. This also comes with an abrupt change in Buffy as she has to cope with what has happened. The suddenness is again emphasized by these episodes taking place on and around Buffy’s birthday. Two unrelated episodes come between “What’s My Line” and “Surprise/Innocence”; 2x11 “Ted,” which does not feature direct treatment of the arc material but does contain the same themes of betrayal by a romantic partner, and 2x12 “Bad Eggs.” The less said about Bad Eggs, the better. Similarly, following “Surprise/Innocence” are two more unrelated episodes before the Angelus plot is really continued. 2x15 “Phases” again deals with unexpected changes (in this case, Oz becoming a werewolf) and the man-to-monster phenomenon, this time primarily from the perspective of the person experiencing the shift. However, 2x16 “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” could have easily come at the beginning of the season, and although it could be argued that Cordelia’s breaking up with Xander is a sudden change that could be perceived as a betrayal, the comedic treatment of this episode leaves it feeling a bit out of place in the season.

2x17 “Passion” serves to parallel 2x7 “Lie to Me” by proving Angel’s dark nature; this time, it occurs in front of our eyes and with a character present for over a season. Again, betrayal is a major feature, and the Buffy/Giles relationship also resurfaces in importance as it did at the end of 2x7 (only this time, she is comforting him). This episode is a clear marker of the last quarter of the season. The momentum created by it is quickly lost in 2x18 “Killed By Death,” however, which has little to do with the arc and seems better suited for S1 (where it could have foreshadowed Buffy’s death and overcoming) or S3 (where it could have related back to the duality of Buffy/Slayer). Perhaps it serves to reinforce her vulnerabilities to the audience; anyway, Angel(us) certainly is ineffectual in it. This episode could easily be skipped over in favor of 2x19 “I Only Have Eyes For You,” which deals heavily with the Buffy/Angel relationship, romantic betrayal, death, regret, and sudden changes all while still maintaining a “Monster of the Week” plot. The following episode, 2x20 “Go Fish”, while it deals with transformation in a literal sense, is also bewildering in its placement just before the finale. Although the largest developments in the arc happen with increasing regularity over the course of the season, it remains disjointed through the insertion of highly episodic content which is either mostly irrelevant to the season or at least not reflective of its placement in the season. The instability of the S2 arc subtracted somewhat from what was otherwise an excellent season, but it was a great improvement upon S1.

Season 3 of Buffy seems to be overall a somewhat underrated season. It is praised, but not as effusively as the shocking twists of S2 or the experimental episodes of S4 and S6. It is, however, a fairly interesting season in terms of stability. The season opener, 3x1 “Anne,” introduces us to a Buffy by another name (she still slays as sweet). By the end of the episode, she has reclaimed her title of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and a minor character first introduced in S2 accepts the moniker, which she’ll bear throughout her seasons on Angel. It’s a solid episode, if not particularly remarkable, and it sets up many of the themes of the season. A major focus of the season is duality and the versatility of identity, including the natural changes in identity associated with growing up and shedding off older parts of the self. 3x2 “Dead Man’s Party,” while seeming to be a Monster of the Week zombie episode, continues this theme by exploring how Buffy returns home after spending a summer on her own in her grief - how Anne goes back to Buffy. It is in 3x3 “Faith, Hope, and Trick,” that Faith Lehane, the other Slayer, is introduced. Although S2 had Kendra, she was not around for long enough to really explore as an effective foil for Buffy. Moreover, she was the rule-following straightlaced alternative to Buffy’s rebellion; Faith will play the opposite role to Buffy. Even the name of the episode winks at the names of three characters (Faith Lehane, Scott Hope, and the vampiric Mr. Trick) and the implications of their names and assumed identities. Angel also returns in early S3, and interestingly, this season begins to further separate Angel and his unsouled self through the [Angel/Angelus distinction](http://womanaction.tumblr.com/post/87037666970/angelangelus). 

Aside from more wordplay, 3x4 “Beauty and the Beasts” also explores multiple identities for Oz when he is considered to be responsible for some murder and mayhem, although the episode is otherwise unremarkable. It could be argued that 3x5 “Homecoming” demonstrates another identity of Buffy’s that she left behind in LA - popular girl, spring queen Buffy who tries to reclaim her throne. Moreover, this episode is fairly specific to this season as S3 seems to increasingly emphasize school (fittingly for a season ending with an apocalypse on graduation day). The two worlds of school and slaying collide more and more as the season progresses. “Band Candy” explores identity and adulthood in reverse, sending the adults back to their adolescence and forcing Buffy to act as the authority figure to her mother and Giles. As in the last two seasons, however, it is the seventh episode that is of greater arc importance. While 3x7 “Revelations” is no masterpiece, it is important in that it marks the beginning of Faith’s turn, foreshadowing it by her lack of trust in Buffy. Angel, newly redesignated as such, is also reintroduced to the rest of the Scoobies. Interestingly, although the Mayor (this season’s Big Bad) appears in several early S3 episodes, he does not put in an appearance in “Revelations.”

After “Revelations,” as in S2, the show backs off of the Faith and Buffy/Angel storylines temporarily. Spike’s return in 3x8 “Lovers Walk” sparks a reevaluation of Buffy and Angel’s friendship, but they decide to keep their distance. 3x9 “The Wish” continues the identity play, exploring an alternate universe accidentally created by Cordelia. Altered versions of many of the characters appear; interestingly, Faith seems to have never been called in this universe, as Buffy never died until near the end of the episode. In 3x10 “Amends,” we are introduced to the First, an entity with the power to assume the form of any dead person. This episode continues to contrast souled, guilty Angel with his alter ego of the previous season. 3x11 “Gingerbread” is a weak episode that seemed to be a placeholder before the true midseason madness of 3x12 “Helpless” followed closely by 3x14/3x15 “Bad Girls/Consequences.” “Helpless” mostly ignores Faith but focuses on Buffy’s Slayerhood by seeing the changes in her identity when her powers are taken from her. This is a Buffy on her own, similar to last season’s 2x22 “Becoming pt 2″; however, here the emphasis is not on her strength and self-sufficiency but on her persistence through her vulnerability. This episode establishes that regardless of powers, Buffy Summers is the Slayer - and the following episodes remind us of why that’s usually singular. Before getting to the real turning point of the season, we’re given another buffer episode in 3x13 “The Zeppo.” However, unlike the midseason S2 episodes, this episode sets up Xander’s role in Faith’s late-season plot (3x17 “Enemies”) as well as allowing for more identity play as Xander struggles to reinvent himself from the “Jimmy Olsen” persona. 

3x14 “Bad Girls” and 3x15 “Consequences” may not be as shocking to viewers as 2x13 “Surprise” and 2x14 “Innocence,” but they are just as representative of the second half of their respective season. A line is drawn in the sand between Buffy and Faith, creating roles the two inhabit for the remainder of the season. Good Slayer and bad. While 3x16 “Doppelgangland” provides more identity exploration for Willow through direct interaction of her human and vampire selves (with a nice bit of input from Angel that suggests a connection between the two is usual, despite the Angel/Angelus distinction), its inclusion in the second half of the season is again a little odd as it has little direct relevance to the arc; Willow does have a significant part to play in 3x19 “Choices” in particular, but only symmetry seems to have kept this plot on the far side of the season divider.

One strength of S3 in comparison to S2 is its multiple main plots. So while 3x17 “Enemies” is obviously relevant to Faith’s plotline as well as the Buffy/Angel plot, 3x18 “Earshot” explores the torments of Sunnydale High as the group prepares for graduation. Each episode in the second half of the season with the exception of “Doppelgangland” covers some aspect of the finale, which is a style the writers would repeat in S5. 3x19 “Choices” seems to hit all of them, including foreshadowing the inevitable B/A breakup, Faith continuing to seek deeper into darkness, and Buffy accepting the consequences of her Slayer identity by deciding to remain in Sunnydale instead of leaving to pursue education at another school. Earlier in the season, the possibility had been raised of Faith remaining so that Buffy could leave, but in keeping with the themes of the season, Buffy has to assume the responsible role. Unlike 2x20 “Go Fish,” 3x20 “The Prom” is a bit of a breather episode while still advancing the main arcs (Buffy/Angel and graduation). Although the Buffy/Angel plot this season is somewhat muddled, its relevance to the finale is continually foreshadowed. She begins the season regretful that she could not save him; she ends it nearly dying doing so. Meanwhile, although Faith’s descent into evil seems like a straight line, Buffy still experiences a vision of her reflecting their continued shared identity. Through both forced experiences and her own choice, Buffy has had her Slayer identity tested constantly, but by the end of the season she accepts it as what allows her to be the leader and protector of her friends, Angel, the school, and the world. S5 will return to these themes by examining what being a Slayer means for Buffy in particular, and S7 will explore the universal sharing of Slayerhood. For S3, however, the season ends with Buffy once again as the one and only, on her own again without Angel or Faith, but having finished her high school journey.


End file.
